Golden Glow residents rally to aid neighbors after storm

Four Golden Glow homes destroyed, dozen uninhabitable

Jul. 29, 2012

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Ron Wheaton is smiling because he has good insurance, but his property on Hazelwood Avenue in the Golden Glow area of Big Flats was devastated by Thursday's tornado. / JEFF MURRAY / Staff Photo

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Ron Wheaton has complained to his insurance company in the past about pine trees overgrowing his property.

The answer was always the same — it’s his problem, not theirs.

Now that many of those trees are in or on Wheaton’s house and car, courtesy of Thursday’s tornado, it is the insurance company’s problem, he said.

Wheaton was among the hundreds of Golden Glow residents who saw their properties torn up when a severe thunderstorm and tornado plowed through the area Thursday afternoon.

Many of those residents remained without power or other services Sunday.

“(When the storm came), we ran to the basement real quickly. I knew we were in deep,” Wheaton said Sunday. “My van was crushed. My house was impaired. We could hear the crashing, thunder and hail and rain. I knew it was bad.”

At least four homes in the Golden Glow area are uninhabitable, and another dozen sustained significant damage, said Randy Ziegenhagen, chief of the Golden Glow Fire Department.

When it came to cleanup and recovery, the fire department had plenty of help from neighboring fire companies, including Big Flats and East Corning, along with the Salvation Army, the Town of Big Flats, New York State Electric & Gas and others, Ziegenhagen said.

But the biggest lift came from residents themselves, he said.

Like many other communities in the Elmira area, Golden Glow’s story from Thursday’s violent weather is one of devastation but also one of residents rallying to help each other.

“It’s amazing — neighbors helping neighbors. They may have nothing left, but they are still coming over and offering assistance,” Ziegenhagen said. “The neighbors have been great. We couldn’t have asked for a better crew. We’re taking care of ourselves. We’re going door-to-door.”

Big Flats Town Supervisor Teresa Dean was instrumental in securing portable toilets, a dumpster and other amenities for the neighborhood.

In addition, the Elmira Salvation Army set up its canteen outside the fire hall Saturday to feed hungry residents and volunteers.

“We served almost 2,000 meals overall,” said Salvation Army Major Dorie Haggerty. “We don’t like seeing people go hungry.”

Danyell Benjamin doesn’t live in Golden Glow, but her boyfriend does.

So Benjamin, who works at Horigan’s Tavern in Elmira, stopped by the fire hall Sunday and handed an envelope full of cash — representing all of her most recent night’s tips — to Ziegenhagen.

“All my money is going to you guys. You have done such a good job,” Benjamin told Ziegenhagen.

Residents who are trying to pick up the pieces are overwhelmed by the support.

“The outpouring of community help was remarkable. Everybody has been incredible, but it was very frightening,” said Gigi Price, of Cottage Drive East in Big Flats.

“I looked out the front door when it was all over, and there was a tree over both our cars,” Price said. “My husband had just gotten home from work. He walked in the door 10 minutes earlier, or he would have been in the car.”

Golden Glow resident Pauline Emery said her home was spared but her mother’s house and car were damaged by falling trees.

The way everyone pulled together was heartwarming, Emery said.

“This is amazing. We had a gentleman who didn’t know us who offered to use his chainsaw to clear limbs off my mom’s car,” she said. “He just did that out of the kindness of his heart. It was very touching.”